Users usually accessorize their computing devices. A desktop computer can be accessorized with various peripherals, such as an external hard drive or speakers. A tablet computer can be accessorized with a mouse or external battery. A smartphone can be accessorized with a docking station, an external keyboard, or a charger. These are just a few of many ways in which users accessorize computing devices with peripherals.
These peripherals, however, are difficult to track. Often, users use accessories from different manufacturers (including manufacturers different from the host computing device's manufacturer), and some peripherals may damage or fail to make full use of the host computing device. Some peripherals are not properly designed, such as batteries that overheat or chargers that overload their host computing device. Still other peripherals fail to properly interact with the host computing device, such as its user interface or services. If there is an issue with the host computing device, many users are unable to determine if the issue is caused by the peripheral or by the host computing device.